Pony Express Stations, Part 12: Sand Springs Station

For thousands of years, much of western Nevada was submerged under the waters of ancient Lake Lahontan. About 4,000 years ago, climate change caused the waters to recede and the area around what’s now Fallon, became a dry desert playa. Prevailing winds from the west blew millions of tons of sand from this playa into a 500-foot high pile of sand now known as Sand Mountain. In modern times, Sand Mountain became an attraction to dune buggy enthusiasts and it became a popular recreation destination. In addition, the site is near the Grimes Point Petroglyph Area and Hidden Cave archaeological site.